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It almost never fails. When Im asked to speak to Evangelical audiences about politics, I can predict the reaction to the speech based almost entirely on the age of the audience. If a Christian is older than me, hes often angry. If younger, usually grateful.

A recent interaction is typical. After being asked in a question-and-answer session about Trumps use of Twitter, I argued that Christians should be just as concerned about falsehoods and unpresidential behavior as they were during the Obama administration. The same people who launched extended diatribes about various Obama offenses against decorum (feet up on the Oval Office desk, a sloppy salute before entering Marine One) were laughing at Trumps gifs, memes, and insults. Deceptions and misconduct arent cleansed by partisan affiliation. The blood of Jesus can wash away sins. A red political jersey cannot.

After the speech, I was speaking to a small group of younger Christians when an older man walked up, glared at me, and said, You just wanted Hillary. (I did not.) Conversations like this have happened time and again. Its the answer to all critiques. Worried that Trumps team has lied about the extent of their contacts with Russia? Hillary. Concerned about chaos in the West Wing? Hillary. Alarmed at the failure of Obamacare repeal and the obvious lack of presidential leadership? Hillary.

Oddly enough, this ongoing older-generation Hillary obsession makes me less pessimistic about the long-term future of Evangelical political engagement. When committed support for Trump is both generational and situational, theres less chance that were looking at a permanent Evangelical shift towards by any means necessary political combat. Theres a better chance that were looking at the sad by-product of the worst presidential choice in living American memory.

Younger Evangelicals (and younger conservatives more generally) saw Hillary as a corrupt choice for president. She was no more honest than Trump, but unlike Trump she was actively hostile to religious liberty and increasingly radical in her support for abortion. Thats bad enough, of course, but older Evangelicals were carrying a full quarter-century of baggage into the fight. Beginning in 1991, she wasnt just at the center of scandal after scandal, she was on the wrong end of the culture wars, and she was an icon of the brand of arrogant, condescending feminism that most Christian conservatives openly despise. And she was in our face for decades.

In other words, if the Democratic party wanted to nominate the one person in the entire United States most calculated to get Evangelicals to hold their noses and walk to the polls for a man like Donald Trump, then congratulations. Mission accomplished.

Moreover, the complete shock of Trumps win (followed quickly by the Gorsuch nomination) forged a bond between older Evangelicals and Trump that isnt easy to break. They thought all hope was lost. They thought that the Clintons were immune to the laws of political gravity, and no amount of scandal could bring her down. When the darkness is perceived as particularly bleak, the dawn is greeted with even greater joy. Younger Evangelicals didnt perceive the same darkness. Thus, the light is not as bright.

But now, six months into a dysfunctional presidency, its time for Evangelicals to come to their senses. Its time to fully understand that Hillary is actually vanquished. There is absolutely no criticism of Trump that will cause her to parachute into the White House. Indeed, if the political crises grow increasingly grave, then the choice wouldnt be Trump or Hillary but rather Trump or Pence. Moreover, withholding criticism of Trumps bad acts enables his worst behavior. Holding firm behind him no matter his actions reinforces his own view that his people support him unconditionally. Given his erratic behavior, thats dangerous for him to believe. He should understand his political limits.

Cutting against the chance of Evangelical accountability are the powerful forces of opportunism and rationalization. Its obvious that the conservative Christian movement has more than its share of throne-sniffers, the kind of people willing to give a big grin and thumbs-up right in front of a Playboy magazine cover (as did Jerry Falwell Jr. and his wife, during a photo-op a year ago in Trumps office). Trump was able to appeal to the ambition of a motley collection of fading Christian stars. Theyre with him, they gush about him as if hes Gods great gift to America, and theyll stay with him if he live-tweets himself murdering someone on Fifth Avenue.

But thats the fringe. The masses are more vulnerable to rationalization the quest to justify or excuse conduct youd otherwise condemn. This is the heart of the appeal of anti-anti-Trumpism. No matter what Trump does, you can find someone on the Left doing something worse. Trump tweets about Mikas alleged facelift? Well, didnt Kathy Griffin hold up a model of Trumps severed head? Never mind the enormous disparities in power between the president of the United States and any member of the media or any celebrity. Never mind the hypocrisy in excusing misconduct that youd condemn in others.

Its the ancient human tendency. We always refight the last war, and the last war featured two equally powerful corrupt forces, but one of them had the advantage of at least paying lip service to Christian conservative concerns. Theres a new political war now, and in this one, the most powerful man in the land has proven to be exactly as deceptive and erratic as many of us feared. Yes, some of the forces opposing him are hysterical and unhinged. But if Christians want to preserve their witness and their influence, they cannot and must not march in lockstep behind a man who scorns their values in word and, most important, in deed.

READ MORE: Hillary Blames America First The Democrats Leftward March Stop Talking about Hillary Clinton and Start Thinking about Jimmy Carter

David French is a senior writer for National Review, a senior fellow at the National Review Institute, and an attorney.

Continued here:
The Ghost of Hillary Still Haunts Evangelicals - National Review

6 Aug 2017, 8:55 a.m.

"We've got this enormous problem at Stawell."

An aerial shot from 2014 of the Stawell tyre dump, which holds around 9 million tyres. Photo: Boomerang Alliance

A shadowy offshore internet marketing company based in the tax haven of Panama now has control of a toxic dump of 9 million used tyres considered a huge fire risk in the state's west.

The notorious Stawell tyre stockpile, one of the world's biggest, has largely sat dormant for nearly a decade, despite major environmental concerns and repeated orders for it to be cleaned up.

Anger in the community has reached boiling point, as repeated inaction finally led the Environment Protection Authority last week to declare it would take charge of the dump unless the fire danger was reduced. If fully ignited, it could burn for months.

The previous owner had promised residents that it would rid the country town of the dangerous mass of rubber using a controversial recycling process known as pyrolysis, which involves breaking down the tyres at high temperatures.

However that plan has not reached fruition and with the threat of action looming, Fairfax Media can reveal that ownership of the site has been transferred in recent months to an overseas company known as "Internet Marketing Solutions Corp".

A title search shows the transfer of the Saleyards Road property by the previous owner Used Tyre Recycling Corporation was completed on June 8.

No ACN or Australian address is listed for Internet Marketing Solutions Corp on the land title. The company is based in the central American country of Panama.

Panama company records show Internet Marketing Solutions Corp was registered in 2010 as a "sociedad anonima" or anonymous society, a form of private corporation which protects the identity of shareholders.

Directors listed on the company's documents are linked to hundreds of other entities in Panama.

The sole director of the Used Tyre Recycling Corporation, Matthew Starr, said he was not connected with Internet Marketing Solutions Corp in any way and had completed the deal in New York City earlier this year.

Internet Marketing Solutions Corp bought the dump because they wanted to focus on developing rubber-based products, he said.

"I have never been to Panama and can't speak or understand any Spanish," he said.

It appears no money changed hands. On the land title, the property was transferred as a "desire to make a gift".

Dr Starr said the deal was backended, with an agreement that his company would recycle Internet Marketing Solutions Corp's tyres at a plant still planned for a neighbouring property.

The skyline of Panama City in Panama. Photo: Susana Gonzalez

Stawell resident Allan Cooper, 65, said the community had been worried about the tyre stockpile for at least 10 years, after the site's then-owner Motorway went bust in 2008.

He lives on Longfield Street, about one kilometre away from the dump, and had major concerns about the possibility of the town being blanketed with toxic smoke if it were to go up in flames.

"If it started the whole town would be polluted with smoke," he said. "There's no way known you could get everybody out that quickly and it won't take long to start up once it goes."

Mr Cooper said the town was sick of the buckpassing that had taken place in recent years between the owners, the EPA, local council and state government, and just wanted something done.

"If it was in Melton, closer to Melbourne, they'd be doing something about," he said. "They would have that much money poking at it. But they don't care."

Environmental groups have previously described the dump as a "Hazelwood waiting to happen". The CFA has assessed the site as a "very high fire" risk, with the potential for catastrophic consequences for the town of Stawell.

Panama company records for Internet Marketing Solutions Corp.

Environmental group Boomerang Alliance, which has advocated for stricter controls on tyre dumping, estimated there were 9 million tyres in the stockpile.

"Every year it stays there, the greater the chance of a massive fire," said Boomerang Alliance director Jeff Angel.

Lax regulation had allowed the stockpile to grow, he said, as unscrupulous collectors undercut legitimate recyclers with lower rates and then dumped the tyres without fear of reprisal.

He said the problem was improving as state governments tightened their laws, while major tyre brands also had begun sending their used tyres to genuine recyclers.

"However, we've got this enormous legacy problem at Stawell," he said.

EPA chief executive Nial Finegan said there was a long history with Used Tyre Recycling Corporation trying to get them to comply with various notices.

The EPA would seek to recover costs from the owners if it had to take control of the dump and reduce the risk, he said. The current owners have until Wednesday to explain why the EPA shouldn't take charge.

"If the Environment Protection Authority is stepping in there is a real risk to the community," he said.

Dr Starr said his company had stopped owning the dump on March 30, before the EPA had slapped the tyre yard with three statutory demands.

Any delays were caused by documentation having to be translated between Spanish and English and then approved, he said.

The company had previously tried to get a permit for a pyrolysis tyre recycling plant but claimed to be slowed down by red tape.

Dr Starr said the company had spent large amounts of money and had improved the site substantially since taking over in 2015.

"It appears that the EPA are overreacting at Stawell given the recent paper recycling dump fire in Coolaroo that took weeks to put out," he said.

Read this article:
Country Victorian tyre dump sold to Panama internet marketing company - Camden Haven Courier

This picture taken and released on July 25, 2017 by Turkey's Presidential Press Service shows Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressing the AK Party's group meeting at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) in Ankara. (Photos by AFP)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned of upcoming operations on Syrian soil after the country bolsters its military presence on the border with its war-torn neighbor.

We are determined to extend the dagger we have put into the heart of the terror entity project through the Euphrates Shield Operation with new moves, he said while addressing a crowd in the city of Malatyaon Saturday.

In August 2016, Turkeybegan a unilateral military intervention in northern Syria, code-named Operation Euphrates Shield,sending tanks and warplanes across the border. Ankara claimed that its military campaign was aimed at pushing the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group from Turkey's border with Syria and stopping the advance of Kurdish forces, who were themselves fighting Daesh, but Damascus denounced the operation as a breach of its sovereignty.

In March, Turkey announced that the operation had ended successfully. During the operations Turkey-backed Syrian militant groups and the Turkish military cleared an area in northern Syria of Daesh and prevented the Syrian Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) from conjoining its territories.

The YPG is part of a larger coalition of fighters the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) which has been engaged in operations aimed at liberating Raqqah.

Ankara has on multiple occasions expressed its deep concern about the advancement of YPG forces in northern Syria.

We would rather pay the price for spoiling plans against our future and liberty in Syria and Iraq rather than on our own soilSoon we will take new and important steps, Erdogan added.

Erdogans announcement was made hours after the Turkish military reinforced its presence in the other side of the barbed wire border with Syria by deploying a six-vehicle convoy that included tanks and howitzers to the southernprovince of Kilis.

Continue reading here:
New operations on Syrian soil imminent: Erdogan - Press TV

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan is dismissing claims that Kurds are not represented in the Justice and Development Party (AKP)-dominated government.

As examples Erdogan offered that government spokesperson Bekir [Bozdag] is a Kurd and MP from Yozgat, as well as the assistant to the prime minister Mohammed Shimshak, elected MP from Gaziantep but originally from Batman.

Erdogan added that presidential advisor Aisha Turkmanoghlo is also a Kurd too, saying not to look at her name which contains Turkmen.

Twelve Peoples Democratic Paty (HDP) MPs, including the leaders Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag, are currently imprisoned. The pro-Kurdish party won 59 seats in the November 2015 vote.

Two pro-Kurdish lawmakers were stripped of their status in the Turkish parliament on Thursday on the grounds of absenteeism, missing meetings of the general assembly. Four of their members have now been stripped of their status, leaving the party with 55 seats.

International human rights organizations have reported that Erdogan is using last summers failed coup to target political opposition.

Most of the HDP members arrested have been charged with affiliation or support for the banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), an allegation the party denies.

Read more:
Erdogan: Kurds are represented in Turkish government, party - Rudaw

Turkish authorities would require the suspects two wear two kinds of uniforms a brown jumpsuit for "coup plotters" and jackets and trousers in the same color for "terrorists," Erdogan said at a rally in the city of Malatya on Saturday.

"From now on, there is no coming dressed as they want," the Turkish strongman told his supporters at a stadium opening ceremony.

"They will be introduced to the world like that," he added, describing the color of the uniform as "almond."

Read more: Main coup trial begins in Turkey against nearly 500 suspects

'Hero' or villain

The new dress code comes in response to a controversy last month, when one of the defendants showed up in an Ankara court wearing a T-shirt with the word "Hero" on it. The images of the suspect triggered outrage on social media, with users claiming the shirt insulted the 249 victims of the failed coup in 2016. However, dozens of people were subsequently detained by the police for wearing similar T-shirts. Onone occasion, police chased down a young couple riding a motorbike after they noticed their "Hero" shirts.

Commenting on the Ankara incident in July, Erdogan saidthat suspects for coup-related crimes should wear uniforms "like in Guantanamo," referring to the infamous US military prison that dresses their inmates in bright orange jumpsuits. At least 50,000 people have been detained in the crackdown after the coup attempt.

dj/bw(Reuters, dpa, AP, AFP)

Continue reading here:
Turkey's Erdogan wants uniforms for coup suspects in court - Deutsche Welle